Like many women in Kuala Lumpur, Melissa Ho used to avoid hailing taxis because of their woeful reputation for safety and reliability and the drivers’ reluctance to use the meter. But now the corporate banker, who visits the Malaysian capital regularly, orders cars using GrabTaxi, known locally as MyTeksi. The mobile app checks drivers’ backgrounds, estimates fares in advance and can even share details of the journey with friends or family.
“The only trusted taxi service [before] was via personal contacts [or] word of mouth,” says the 37-year-old.
GrabTaxi, focused on southeast Asia, is part of a global wave of mobile apps, such as Uber, Lyft and Hailo , that are setting up alternatives to established – and usually well protected – taxi services.